Kudos Recipients

By Andrew Washburn, Public Relations

Tamara Phillips, Deena Skalka, Michelle Strickler and Richard Williams were Regents' Kudos recipients in January.

Tamara Phillips has gone far beyond her duties as registrar in UNL's Division of Continuing Studies. In addition to her normal responsibilities, she has shown tremendous levels of dedication, service and leadership since coming to the division more than 15 years ago, said her nominator. Her offices are consistently among the best on campus, scoring a 93 or higher in accuracy, timeliness of work and courtesy in a 1996 student survey. Phillips' work was instrumental in establishing a computer link with the central UNL Registration and Records system to allowing both divisions to offer students faster and better counseling services. She has served on several campuswide committees, including the SIS (Student Information Systems) Evaluation Panel which selected the software system, and dealt with the implementation of that system.

Deena Skalka has been an inspiration to everybody at UNL's South Central Research & Extension Center in Clay City, said her nominator. As a receptionist, her cheery demeanor and confident attitude often helps other office workers through their daily functions. For the past 13 years, her patience and support has helped the office to better deal with clientele and all of those who walk through the doors of the center. Of course, her duties as secretary are always completed in a timely fashion and with a high degree of accuracy, helping support the district director and other specialists with which the office deals.

Michelle Strickler has watched her responsibilities grow from her original position as an office supervisor in UNL's Department of Human Resources. She now is an information specialist, serving as the Novell network administrator. Her expertise is a valuable asset to several boards and committees on campus dealing with technology-centered projects. In addition to these full-time activities, she is still responsible for the Human Resource budget and accounts, payroll, the support section and the records section for the entire UNL campus. In her free time, she is actively pursuing a degree in Management Information Systems. Her ability to change with new technology makes her a valuable member of the UNL staff and her knowledge will help the university to maintain its ability to adjust and welcome the future of education.

Richard Williams has helped change the eating habits of thousands of faculty, staff and students at UNL. His work as the director of Nebraska Unions Food Services has gone well past the walls of the campus's two union buildings. His clever ideas and management skills have led to the implementation of six satellite carts throughout buildings on campus, bringing beverages and snacks to students and staff, without clientele even having to leave their building. His work has also led to the opening of the convenience store in the Stadium Drive Parking Garage to better serve the western side of city campus. In the last year, his work has also contributed to the opening of the new Caffina Café in the expanded Nebraska Union space. All the while Williams is responsible for the operations of daily operations of Union Food Services, and catering events at the Lied Center, Sheldon Gallery and other campus buildings.

NU Communicators Recognized at CASE Conference

By David Fitzgibbon, Public Relations

The University of Nebraska won 18 awards in the recent District VI annual recognition program sponsored by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.

The awards include five gold, two silver and 11 bronze certificates in communications categories for writing, radio and video production, photography, advertising, publications, and magazine design.

The "Nebraska Alumni Resource Guide" won a gold certificate for Andrea Cranford, director of communications for the Nebraska Alumni Association. A gold also went to "Junior Viewbook," a brochure sent to high school students, for design by Brett Dietrich and Jean Deshazer of the UNL Publications Office. Two publications of the NU Foundation won golds for Wendy Abbott, Alicia Hauggen and Sam Eckersley. They are "Some of the Better Things in Life" and "Morrill Hall Fundraising." "Karen Kunc Profile," a radio story about the NU art professor won a gold for Mary Jane Bruce, a producer in the Office of Public Relations.

"Learn Today Impact Tomorrow," a recruiting video for Teachers College, and "Junior Viewbook" won silver certificates and electronic media and direct mail categories respectively.

The Autumn 1998 Nebraska Magazine won a bronze for visual design. Additionally, three feature stories and two photographs that appeared in Nebraska Magazine won bronze awards. The stories are "Not All Gridiron Legends Wear Shoulder Pads," "Conversations with Paper" and "Retracing Discovery." Winning photographs depicted Tom Osborne "Walking Away" and the "Beadle Center Greenhouse."

Other bronze awards went to the recruitment publications series "There is No Place Like Nebraska," the "1998-99 Lied Season Brochure," the NU Foundation's "Major gift Proposals" publication, a fundraising video "Wonderland: The Landscape of an Endowed Professorship" and a video feature on an NU art professor "Inside Nebraska: Karen Kunc."

Jessica Kennedy of the Nebraska Alumni Association chaired the eight-state regional competition and awards banquet. Kennedy, along with a contingent from Alumni including Marc Shkolnick and Lee Denker, hosted the awards ceremony Jan. 19 in Kansas City, Mo.

University employees who earned awards are: Wendy Abbott, NU Foundation (2 awards); Curtis Bright, Public Relations (3); Mary Jane Bruce, Public Relations (3); Andrea Cranford, Alumni Association; Robert Crisler, Public Relations; Jean Deshazer, formerly Publications (3); Brett Dietrich, Publications (4); Sam Eckersley, NU Foundation (2); David Fitzgibbon, Public Relations (2); Alicia Haugen, NU Foundation (2); Annie Mumgaard, Public Relations; David Ochsner, Public Relations; Robert Sheldon, Public Relations (2); Richard Wright, Publications (2).

Nominations for the Lake Award Due March 8

The members of the James A. Lake Academic Freedom Award Committee are soliciting nominations for the award.

The James A. Lake Award, given by the UNL Academic Senate, recognizes an individual who has made exceptional contributions through his or her acts to defending, supporting, and explaining the applications and practice of the principles of academic freedom.

The committee forwards to the Academic Senate its recommendation drawn from the nominations submitted each year. The Senate votes on the recommendations. The award winner is honored in ceremonies in a spring meeting of the Academic Senate and an inscription is placed on a permanent plaque in the Chancellor's Conference Room.

An award nomination form will be sent to faculty in the mail within a few days. Complete the form and submit it together with supporting documentation to Jim McShane, Department of English, 338 Andrews Hall, UNL, 68588-0333, by March 8.

For more information, contact members of the committee: Jim McShane, associate professor of English and director of University Foundations Program (472-2700), Dermot P. Coyne, George Homes Professor of horticulture (472-1126), and Helen Moore, professor of sociology (472-6081).

Student Leader Nominations Due Feb. 19

Nominations are being accepted for the annual Outstanding Student Leadership Award. This award is given annually to one male and one female student, currently in their junior year at UNL, who have made the most notable contribution toward the development of leadership qualities in their fellow students.

The award recognizes outstanding leadership in academic, co-curricular and/or extra-curricular activities and involvements, and provides a scholarship with an approximate value of the cost of resident tuition and fees during the students' senior year at the university.

To be eligible for this award, a student must have successfully completed at least 53 hours of college coursework with a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or better and be currently enrolled as a full-time student at UNL.

Nominations must be received in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs by Feb. 19. For more information, contact Barbara Wright-Chollet in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, 106 Canfield Administration Building.

Faculty Urged to Promote Udall Applications

This spring the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation will award approximately 75 scholarships (up to $5,000 each). Eligible applicants are outstanding current full-time sophomores and juniors who intend to pursue careers related to environmental public policy or outstanding Native American and Alaskan Native current full-time sophomores and juniors who intend to pursue careers in health care or tribal public policy. Faculty are encouraged to nominate prospective students or students may nominate themselves.

The Udall foundation was established in 1992 to honor the U.S. Rep. Morris K. Udall, who died just last year. Civility, integrity, and consensus distinguished Udall's career. Consistent with these values, the Udall Foundation is committed to educating a new generation of Americans to preserve and protect their national heritage by the recruitment and preparation of individuals skilled in effective public policy conflict resolution.

Typical majors or areas of study include environmental studies, the natural sciences, natural resource management, the social sciences, and Native American public policy. The student nominee's course work should, or will, include coursework in ethics and public and/or community service experience in the area of the candidate's career field.

The Foundation will award the scholarships in May 1999 to students who will be college juniors and seniors during the 1999-2000 academic year. In order to be considered for an award, students must be nominated by their institution. Thus, although the Foundation established a deadline of March 15, student nominations must be submitted no later than March 1,1999.

For more information, contact Ronald Case, 204 Natural Resources Hall, EC 0819, 472-6825.